Freshman lawmaker AOC expressed that she is not fond of 2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg’s latest Iowa ad that calls for college affordability without “turning off half the country” by proposing college be free even for kids of millionaires.
New Pete ad in Iowa taking aim at Warren and Bernie over college affordability/debt (but not by name), arguing they’d alienate half the country by insisting it be “free even for the kids of millionaires”. H/t @McCormickJohn
pic.twitter.com/SEAcOdHcAq— Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) November 29, 2019
AOC responded to the ad, writing:
This is a GOP talking point used to dismantle public systems, & it’s sad to see a Dem candidate adopt it.
Let’s talk about why Republicans are wrong on this.
Just like rich kids can attend public school, they should be able to attend tuition-free public college.
This is a GOP talking point used to dismantle public systems, & it’s sad to see a Dem candidate adopt it.
Let’s talk about why Republicans are wrong on this.
Just like rich kids can attend public school, they should be able to attend tuition-free public college.
Here’s why. https://t.co/pWprP0qrhG
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 29, 2019
AOC then adds in subsequent tweets:
Universal public systems are designed to benefit EVERYBODY! Everyone contributes & everyone enjoys. We don’t ban the rich from public schools, firefighters, or libraries bc they are public goods.
Universal systems that benefit everyone are stronger bc everyone’s invested!
When you start carving people out & adding asterisks to who can benefit from goods that should be available to all, cracks in the system develop.
Many children of the elite want to go to private, Ivyesque schools anyway, which aren’t covered by tuition-free public college!
Lastly, and I can’t believe we have to remind people of this, but it’s GOOD to have classrooms (from pre-k through college!) to be socioeconomically integrated. Having students from different incomes & backgrounds in the same classroom is good for society & economic mobility.
Some who responded to AOC didn’t like her critique of Buttigieg.
One Twitter user wrote:
Seriously…. always liked @BernieSanders but now he is sending AOC out to tear down other Democratic candidates just bc they don’t think 100% like her. I’m done. I hope the other candidates can unify and not allow her to tear us apart. This is something Trump would do.
Seriously…. always liked @BernieSanders but now he is sending AOC out to tear down other Democratic candidates just bc they don’t think 100% like her. I’m done. I hope the other candidates can unify and not allow her to tear us apart. This is something Trump would do.
— Lake Effect Joe (@cards_fan75) November 29, 2019
Another Twitter user defended AOC, responding:
Pete was the one attempting to tear down Bernie here. I hope the other candidates can unify and not allow Pete to tear us apart. This is something Trump would do.
Pete was the one attempting to tear down Bernie here. I hope the other candidates can unify and not allow Pete to tear us apart. This is something Trump would do.
— Music Foundations (@musicfounds) November 29, 2019
AOC recently fired back at critics of her far-left agenda and talked about how much she hates it when her critics say it’s about “FREE STUFF.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
People love to say this is about free stuff. This is not about free stuff. These are public goods. They’re public goods. So I never want to hear the word, or term “FREE STUFF” again.
Some of these neoliberal folks, that are trying to flip the script on us and like we’re talking about tuition free public college and when we talk about public housing, oh well I don’t want to pay for a millionaire’s kid to go to college. That’s like their jiu-jitsu on us.
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This article first appeared on TheConservativeOpinion.com